The field of the invention is the manufacture of hydrogen chloride and the present invention is particularly concerned with hydrogen chloride production from chlorinated hydrocarbons.
The state of the art of the manufacture and processing of hydrochloric acid may be ascertained by reference to the Kirk-Othmer, "Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology" 2nd ed., vol. 11 (1967) pp. 307-337, particularly pp. 314-315 where it is disclosed that 75% of U.S. hydrochloric acid production for the years 1961-66 came from chlorination processes, and pp. 315-323 under the section Gas Treatment, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein.
The closest prior art processes for recovering HCl from amine hydrochlorides are those in which the HCl is liberated by reacting the amine hydrochloride with an acid of low volatility. The amine is thereby obtained in salt form.